Plus ça change

THE Irish Republican Army was rebuked by Mr Eamon de Valera, president of the Free State Executive, in an address in Dublin last night. After stating that the government had been very patient during the last three years, he said their hopes that common sense would prevail had apparently been misplaced. The use of violence against the forces of the government and individual citizens had continued. Recently the life of a citizen was taken in an armed raid in Co Longford and policemen were fired at and wounded in Tralee and Dublin.

From the Irish News Last Year

On This Day/March 31 1935 By Eamon Phoenix

“It is time that this should stop,” said Mr de Valera, who added that if the IRA wanted to secure control of the country the way was open to them by seeking election from the people. “It is time that this violence should stop. Violence by one section leads to violence by the other. The result is anarchy and ultimately one form or another of dictatorship. At the least, it brings comfort and encouragement to the enemies of this country and it creates dissension and weakness among ourselves.